New Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan may lack the degree claimed in his bio

Still reeling from last month's player abuse scandal that cost coach Mike Rice and athletic director Tim Pernetti their jobs and resulted in a handful of transfers, the beleaguered Rutgers basketball program may soon face more turmoil.

Two key factors that will help determine the potential ramifications for Jordan will be whether he claimed a degree on the resume he submitted to Rutgers and whether the university requires head coaches to be college graduates. A Rutgers spokesman did not immediately return an email seeking the answer to those two questions.

If Jordan claimed a degree he did not have, history suggests his job could be in jeopardy.

Rutgers released a statement to Deadspin supporting Jordan but sidestepping the issue at hand.

"Eddie Jordan was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2004 and he has been a part of the Rutgers family since 1977," the statement reads. "His athletic skills and leadership and his professional accomplishments have been a source of pride for Rutgers for more than three decades. We are excited to have him as our men’s basketball coach and we look forward to many winning seasons."

It seems likely in this case that Rutgers officials will do everything possible to stand behind Jordan because neither the school nor the basketball program can afford more instability right now. Furthermore, the bigger this story becomes, the more questions will be asked about whether Rutgers administrators did their due diligence looking into the background of Jordan before hiring him.

When Jordan arrived at Rutgers, he was celebrated as a new coach who could help the basketball program heal from the scars left by Rice. He may yet be the right man for that job, but the process is now off to a bumpy start.